Shangela Has Been Accused Of Rape
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Shangela has been formally accused of rape by a former staff member of HBO's reality series 'We're Here.'
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela has been formally accused of rape and sexual harassment by a former staff member of HBO’s reality series We’re Here.
The accusations have been vehemently denied by Shangela – real name Darius Jeremy Pierce – and the claims are fairly graphic.
The lawsuit was filed by Daniel McGarrigle, a former We’re Here production assistant, in Los Angeles on May 3.
According to The Los Angeles Times, McGarrigle alleges that Shangela sexually assaulted him in February 2020 in a hotel room. The incident is said to have occurred at a wrap party for the show’s crew in Louisiana following the final day of production on the first season of We’re Here.
McGarrigle claimed that he fell asleep in Shangela’s hotel room while intoxicated and still dressed. Some time later, he woke up to allegedly find Shangela pouring liquid poppers on his face.
He also alleges that Shangela then attempted to penetrate him, despite his screams of “no” and his attempts to fight her. McGarrigle says in the lawsuit that he was eventually overpowered by the We’re Here star.
On top of the rape allegation outlined in the lawsuit, McGarrigle also states that Shangela sexually harassed him throughout the production of We’re Here by making inappropriate comments and touching him in ways he did not approve of.
Shangela has denied the allegations in a statement to The Los Angeles Times:
“I can’t begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations,” the Dancing With The Stars contestant stated.
“They are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community. An external investigation into this embittered individual’s claims previously concluded that they were completely without merit. This newest filing is nothing but an attempt to shake down both me and a well-regarded television company.
“No one should be fooled: It has no basis in fact or in law, and it will not succeed. As a hardworking and outspoken drag entertainer for more than a decade, I know that I am far from alone in battling ignorance, bigotry and prejudice, all of which played a role in the filing of this complaint. That is why I will fight this entirely meritless lawsuit and not allow it to destroy me and those I love, or harm the causes we all stand for.”
Buckingham Television, the production company behind We’re Here, released a statement commenting on the matter as well:
“Buckingham Television received a complaint late summer 2021 regarding an incident that was alleged to have occurred in early 2020,” the statement reads.
“Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of personnel on our shows very seriously, and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations.”
We’re Here is a reality series that stars RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Shangela, Bob The Drag Queen, and Eureka O’Hara and follows them as they travel from one small town to the next all across America.
In each locale, they help introduce people to drag, with some of the new additions to their drag families being members of the LGBTQ community who are struggling, while in other instances, they’re straight people who want to better understand what drag is all about as a way to better connect with the LGBTQ people in their lives.
In the end, they host one-night-only drag shows, which are attended by many people who likely have never seen such a show before.
We’re Here premiered in April 2020 and has run for three seasons, with the most recent launching in November 2022.
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